Quieting the Mind

When was the last time you had absolutely no worries occupying your mind? Do you know what it feels like to have a calm mind, free of worries or concerns, and to truly be at ease and feel peaceful? Peace is not an intellectual concept. Peace is a state of being that comes from deep…

Bikram’s Take on Spirituality

Bikram’s favorite way to start a lecture or an interview is to ask the audience or person interviewing him, “What is spirituality?” Most everyone is caught off guard by the question and freezes temporarily. To Bikram, spirituality is Self realization, God realization. It’s simple and complicated all at once. Acknowledgement of spirit is personal and…

Bikram Yogis are Students of Life

If you’re reading this article you probably do Bikram Yoga regularly or at least have done it a few times. You know the grueling routine of the class. You’ve experienced the adversity of the heat and the classroom setting. You’ve stared into the cosmic mirror and had to face yourself, for better or worse, for…

Yoga is the Art of Listening

Many Westerners think of yoga as doing postures either in a class or on their own. We know it’s hard, we know it’s good for us and we know we feel great afterwards. But oftentimes we leave the conscious practice of yoga right there. In simple terms, the word yoga means union; union in every…

Healthy Foods: Ginger

Alright, I have to admit that one of my favorite sodas is Reed’s Ginger Brew. Actually, I prefer the Extra Ginger Brew. So it was great to learn that ginger is an essential ingredient in most every Ayurvedic tincture as it is known to enhance the healing benefits of other herbs. This is not to…

Healthy Foods: Almonds

“Nuts are the meat substitute” is what my mother said to all of us kids, worried that we didn’t eat well in the afternoons when she wasn’t around. I’ve never forgotten that. In recent years almonds have become my favorite nut so I was very happy to learn that almonds are the healthiest of all…

Healthy Foods: Avocado

This wonderful fruit has certainly gotten a bad rap in the past as being full of fat and therefore bad for you. But, as doctors and nutritionists have now learned that there is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol, they have also learned that there is good fat and bad fat. Yes, the avocado is high…

Healthy Foods: Brussels Sprouts

Tasty little nuggets of nutrition, these brussels sprouts! Loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals they help keep the body healthy in many ways. They have an extraordinary amount of Vitamins C and K and contain high amounts of Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, folate, manganese, potassium, copper, calcium, iron, phosphorus, protein, magnesium and omega-3…

Healthy Foods: Cherries

There are some things we eat because we love them without really having any idea just how good they are for us. Cherries, along with many other berries, fall into this category. Both the sweet and tart varieties are high in antioxidants which help our bodies to fight diseases. They also contain anthocyanins which have…

Healthy Foods: Coconut Oil

Before I list all the amazing benefits of coconut oil, we’ll first need to clear up misconceptions about saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. We’ve been told for decades that saturated fats are bad for you but it’s not necessarily the level of saturation that determines an oil’s or fat’s health benefits. It’s important to note…